Do Torn Nails Cause Ingrown Toenails?
The pain and discomfort you feel from an ingrown toenail is certainly no fun at all. Some might think this sort of thing only happens to athletes but truth be told, it can happen to anyone. Many people wonder what the causes are for ingrown toenails, ways to prevent them from happening, and even how to tell if you’re suffering from one. Below is a brief rundown of all of the above.
What Causes Ingrown Toenails?
There are a few causes of ingrown toenails and generally a torn nail will not result in an ingrown toenail. Most of the common causes include: improper clipping of your nails meaning they are cut too short or not cut straight across, wearing shoes that bunch your toes together, naturally curved nail growth, and/or an injury to your toenail.
Who is Most Likely to Get an Ingrown Toenail?
While ingrown toenails can happen to just about anyone there are some people that are more likely to be affected. They include: children who do athletics, people who wear improper shoes, repeat injuries to the feet, congenital foot abnormalities, poor feet hygiene, obesity, diabetes, naturally short nails, arthritis, and excessive feet sweating.
What Type of Doctor Should You Visit?
There are many different types of doctors that can assist you in treating your ingrown toenails. This could include dermatologists, physicians, nurse practitioners, and podiatrists. However, if you’re looking for a specialist in foot care, your best solution is to seek help from a podiatrist as they specialize in diagnosing and treating problems in the feet and ankles.
How Do Doctors Treat Ingrown Toenails
If you’re dealing with a mild ingrown toenail it may only need to be treated with home remedies that can include soaking your feat in warm water, avoid wearing tight shoes, keeping the foot elevated to remove pressure, and taking topical antibiotics while trying to push the nail away from the skin so that it does not penetrate or puncture the skin any further.
If you have a more advanced ingrown toenail meaning it has developed into an infection you may have to take some antibiotics. If the ingrown toenail is resistant to the antibiotics or the occurrence keeps happening it may be necessary to have an inpatient procedure done. These procedures work to remove the nail away from the tissue of the toe. In some instances it may also be necessary to remove the side strip of the nail using local anesthetics. While effective it is important to understand that healing will take much longer and will require caring for your wounds and soaking your feet until the infection has completed healed.
It may seem as if this is something non essential, however, if you’ve ever experience an ingrown toenail before you know exactly how much discomfort you will be in until you get the nail away from the toe tissue. Your first order of business is to implement home remedies, however, if you notice more pain and discomfort or abnormal discharges from your foot, you need to get professional help right away.